


The Good Twin

by lovetylerchalex



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drinking, F/M, Friendship/Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Other, Post-Graduation, Summer Vacation, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:00:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29751690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovetylerchalex/pseuds/lovetylerchalex
Summary: Tyler Down was now free from the halls of Liberty High, and who knows what lies ahead in the coming days. He had absolute faith that the future will reward him with many great things, until a boy named Nathan, who happened to carry the same face as his once most dangerous high school bully, enters his life to wreck his plans.
Relationships: Charlie St. George/Alex Standall, Estela de la Cruz/Tyler Down, Montgomery de la Cruz/Tyler Down, Tyler Down/Nathaniel de la Cruz
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	The Good Twin

**Author's Note:**

> One of my 13 Reasons Why spinoff concepts.
> 
> This is an idea I have thought of for a very long time. After rewatching through some 13RW scenes, I took the consideration to try and create this story based on my imagination and some interesting theories I've seen. There is one plot I came up with where I felt like it has never been used in a book or film before. It might end up controversial to some people, but I really want to write out this storyline as compelling and realistic as I can.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy this one! I really loved reading all the feedback from my other chapter-long fanfic: Once Upon A Dream. So as always, feel free to comment down your honest thoughts, reactions, opinions, or any kind of feedback in my mentions.
> 
> HAPPY READING!!! :)
> 
> WARNING: Graphic depictions and/or references of sexual assault, domestic violence, substance abuse, and other heavy topics. Reader discretion is advised.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar face makes its return to the eyes of Tyler Down as the soon-to-be college freshman goes on his first date with Estela de la Cruz.

Tyler Down will never forget all the days he had spent at Liberty High. Although the majority of them were very difficult times due to loneliness and countless bullying, he will forever be thankful that he made it out alive in the end, all thanks to the friends he had made along the way. Now that his journey through high school has come to a close, Tyler was more than ready to dive into the next chapter of his life. After everything he and his companions had to go through these past few years, Tyler was proud that he had earned the chance to finally move on and start anew.

It has now been a whole week since high school graduation, and college was just right around the corner. Since then, Tyler had been killing time from working at the mall during the day to hanging out with Alex Standall and his boyfriend Charlie St. George at night. While most of his friends have already moved out of Evergreen to pursue their dreams abroad, Tyler decided to remain in his hometown for the time being until he earned enough money to pay for his college tuition and school supplies. At first, he had a hard time choosing a college that he really wanted to enroll in either because the school didn’t provide any photography degree, or the cost was way too expensive to even afford. But eventually, Tyler decided to enroll himself into Berkeley University, the same college that Alex was going to attend. He knew Alex wouldn’t mind if the two of them were to end up sharing a dorm room together, but that would mean having to see Charlie show up to visit Alex occasionally. Not that he didn’t like Charlie, but he was scared that there will be days where the couple will comically invade his privacy while focusing on his studies.

On top of that, Tyler had been recently dating Estela, which still comes as a shock to him since the girl was literally the younger sister of Montgomery de la Cruz. Amongst all the bullies that picked on the poor photographer, Monty had constantly tormented him to the point where he horrifyingly raped him out of tremendous rage. If it weren't for the help of Clay Jensen and the others, Tyler would've never had gained the courage to overcome his trauma and grown to love himself regardless of his past mistakes. To this day, Tyler still wondered about the truth behind Monty’s demented personality and why the infamous jock targeted him the most out of all the nerds that roamed Liberty High. Sadly, he’ll never know the reasons now that he was gone from this world forever. Of course, the death of his rapist made Tyler feel totally relieved that he will never get hurt by Monty ever again, but part of him still felt sad and guilty since he was the one responsible for sending that man to his death in prison in the first place. While Tyler’s friends didn’t have an ounce of forgiveness for what he did to him, Tyler still remained unsure about whether or not Monty should be forgiven for his actions. At least he knows that Estela was one of the only good things Monty had in his life.

On the bright side, Tyler was glad that he was now in a much better place than before. For the first time in forever, the life of the former yearbook photographer of Liberty High was no longer a living hell. From spending marvelous times with his friends and family to finally being in a real relationship, everything in Tyler’s eyes was just perfect. No more conflict, no more drama, no more bullies trying to tear him down, just something that he always desired for. Happiness. Tyler may have no idea what's coming for him in the future, but deep down from the bottom of his heart, he wanted this to last forever.

And so the first day of Junebegins, and Tyler was ready to make as many unforgettable summer memories as he can before adulthood starts, starting with him going on his first date with Estela de la Cruz. Back then he used to be hesitant about going out with Estela since she was in fact Monty’s sister. But after giving it some thought, he then decided to try to the best of his ability to figure out his feelings for the girl until he can finally see Estela for who she really is and not as the sibling of his deceased tormentor. As the morning sun rises over Evergreen, Tyler wakes up and prepares himself for his movie date with his girlfriend. After driving over to Estela’s house to pick her up, they head straight towards The Crestmont. Once he had parked outside the theater, he and Estela exit the car and begin to examine the front of the building. 

"We have arrived!" Tyler shouted.

"Vintage. I like it." Estela nodded.

Since he had already bought tickets in advance, the photographer leads his girlfriend inside. As they walk towards the concession stand, Tyler spots Charlie appearing from the other side of the counter.

"Tyler! What’s up, man!" Charlie greeted.

If there was anything that would brighten Tyler's day, Charlie's smile was indeed one of those factors. Seeing that glimmering expression on his face always made the photographer warm up inside for some reason. Plus he really loved the fact that Charlie was not like the other jocks back in high school. It was good for Tyler to have a jock who was actually very nice and respectful to him as a friend.

"Hey, Charlie! I'm doing well." Tyler replied. "Estela and I are going on our first date here."

"Awesome!" The jock said gleefully. "What can I get for you two lovebirds today?"

"Two diet cokes and a large popcorn, please." Estela said.

"But remember! Butter only on the left half." Tyler added.

While Charlie was busy taking their order, Alex enters the building and joins Charlie behind the counter.

"Hey Tyler! Estela!" Alex hollered.

"Alex?" Tyler gasped. "Hi!"

The nerd notices that Alex was wearing the same uniform as his quarterback boyfriend.

"Since when did you work here?" Tyler asked out of curiosity.

"Well you see, Charlie convinced me to work here momentarily until college starts," Alex explained. "My parent already helped me with some loans. So the money I make here should hopefully cover the rest of my tuition."

"Really? That's what I'm doing too." Tyler said. "Praying the scholarships I've signed up for will also help with mine."

"Damn. I wish I could write bomb-ass essays like you." Alex admitted. "English class was never my expertise."

Charlie laughs recklessly at his geeky boyfriend as he hands Tyler and Estela their popcorn and drinks.

"True. Funny how you always come to me for help even though I'm a grade or two below you." Charlie said.

"Weren't you the one who thought the words depreciating and deprecating meant the same thing?" Alex pointed out.

"Hmmm... fair point." Charlie nodded before opening the register. "Anyways... that'll be $6.95."

Tyler pulls out cash from his pocket and hands it over to the jock. As Charlie calculates the change, Alex begins to caress his boyfriend’s arms with his fingers, causing Charlie to lift the other boy’s hand to firmly kiss it.

"Aww look at the prom kings doing PDA on the job." Estela chuckled. "Nice outfits, by the way."

"Thank you." The jock smiled. "Alex here looks extra cute whenever he wears it." 

"Please. I look like those fucking strippers from Magic Mike, Charles." Alex groaned.

"No, you do not, babe." Charlie giggled. "But you'd make a fine one, you know-"

"Fuck you!" Alex teased, pinching the jock's shoulder.

Tyler and Estela begin to laugh horrendously as they watch the other couple tease the hell out of each other. He could tell that Alex was happy to have Charlie as his boyfriend just by looking at the way they acted towards each other. Tyler knew that Alex had been through a much deeper hell than him, but good thing Charlie came into his life at the right time to help him overcome all the past sufferings he had to endure. His two best friends standing before him were lucky to have fallen in love with one another, and Tyler wanted to have that kind of affection as well. 

"Oh shit, we better catch the movie!" Tyler said, looking at the nearby clock. "Keep the change, Charlie."

"No problem." Charlie smiled. "We should all hang out again sometime whether we’re all free. Wait till Alex and I finally beat you in Fortnite!"

"Agreed." Tyler happily responded. "I'm actually free after this date so I'm more than welcome to meet up this afternoon. I don't go back to work until tomorrow anyway."

"Fantastic!" Alex grinned. "See y'all later then. Enjoy the show!"

"Bye!" Tyler and Estela said in unison.

And so Tyler Down and his new girlfriend begin to hurry away inside their selected theater room. Once they enter, the photographer escorts Estela to their seats. As they settle down and wait for the film to start, the two of them sit in silence while hardly making eye contact. Tyler really wanted this first date to go well, and he hoped that Estela was thinking the same. The last time Tyler had a date in the movie theater, he had an incident that he felt was one of the most highly embarrassing moments of his life. This was Tyler Down's one chance to have a perfect moment with someone he really liked, and he did not want something like that to ruin things again.

Two hours later, Estela then decides to make a move as they continue watching the movie inside the dark, crowded theater. She slowly lands her arm beside Tyler’s before attempting to hold his hand. As soon as the photographer feels the warmness of his girlfriend's tiny fingers, he closes his hand tightly while still focusing on the screen. Little did they know... that the film was close to its end. By the time where Tyler and Estela see the boy and the girl on the screen kiss, the two of them immediately make eye contact after hours of not saying a single word to each other. The nerd begins to gaze deeply at the woman beside him. He begins thinking about all the nice things Estela has done for him, then proceeds to observe her remarkable facial features. Then suddenly, Estela gently grabs her boyfriend by the chin and leans up to kiss his lips. In that brief moment, Tyler felt like he was in an actual romance movie himself. The boy hadn't felt this much tenderness in a long time... especially relationship-wise. Tyler liked the kiss, yes... but did he love it? In his mind the answer was unclear. It was their first kiss after all... but at least he felt a spark, that's what really mattered in his case.

Both of the two lovers exchange little smiles after pulling themselves away. And so the movie's ending credits proceed to roll, and all the people around them begin to loudly applaud at the big screen before standing up and leaving the auditorium. As Tyler and Estela exit the theater, they pause for a moment to reflect on their thoughts about the film they just watched.

"So... d-did you like the movie?" Tyler stuttered.

"Oh my... I wanted to cry when I thought she was gonna leave him for good!" Estela answered. "But thank god they got back together in the end!"

"I'm taking that as a yes?" The nerd said anxiously.

"Of course, silly!" Estela happily answered.

"For real?" Tyler gasped. "Because I kinda planned this for weeks and I was afraid that you’d get bored or might not like it and-"

"Yesssss Tyler," Estela said before hugging her boyfriend’s arm. "I had a great time."

Tyler couldn't believe the words that came out of the girl's mouth. Back then he used to have a difficult time with making friends and building relationships because of his past antics of being a creepy, perverted stalker. So hearing those words from Estela really meant a lot to the boy. It may be just simple words, but in Tyler’s mind, this was all the confirmation he needed. And so his heart begins to fill itself with great joy now that he somewhat has a sign that Estela really does like him for him.

"So... does this mean that we are... you know..." The nerd asked.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?" Estela said. "We already are, aren't we?"

"Well... I guess so yeah." Tyler shrugged. "I think."

Estela stares at the curly-haired boy for a solid thirteen seconds before raising herself up to kiss her tall and nerdy boyfriend's lips once again, causing Tyler to feel a much stronger spark than before. 

"What was that for?" Tyler asked, making a wider smile.

The short girl shrugs her shoulder as she takes one last sip of her drink.

"I'm still kind of hungry. Let's go buy lunch." Estela suggested. "I'm paying this time."

"Alrighty! Let me take a leak first." Tyler said. "I'll meet you outside."

"Okay! I’ll go get us some refills!" Estela shouted before heading back to the concession stand.

Tyler dashes his way over to the restroom and enters the nearest stall he could find to lay off some steam. After finishing his business, he exits and proceeds to wash his hands. Just as he was about to turn off the sink, the photographer gazes into the mirror and slowly starts to realize exactly where he was.

A public restroom.

The place that Tyler had never thought he would return to.

The triggering aesthetic of the area causes the positive energy within his heart to instantly diminish, knowing that the place similar to this was where his darkest life memory had occurred. Tyler could sense his blood running cold, even though the temperature of the room was actually very warm due to the blazing summer heat. He then regains focus and peeks down to see that the water was still running. The boy quickly turns off the sink, then takes a deep breath so that he could attempt to shake off every ounce of distress that suddenly took over him. But once he raises his eyesights back up, there was now another man in the mirror. Someone he had tried so hard to permanently erase from the depths of his mind.

It was none other than Montgomery de la Cruz.

_This cannot be happening,_ Tyler thought. _Monty is dead. How can he be here?_

Even if it was just his imagination, the presence of his notorious bully still made the boy tremble with terror. Tyler observes with caution at the wicked man beside his reflection. Monty was wearing that same blue letterman jacket of death over his torso while using those monstrous eyes to make the endless winter of fear that lingered within Tyler's veins grow stronger. He looked as if he just rose up back from the dead, ready to make Tyler pay for framing him for a murder he did not commit, or worse... brutally assault him once again. 

_Don't make me do it twice._ The ghost echoed.

And so all of the dark memories of Monty have now returned inside Tyler's brain in less than a heartbeat. No matter how hard he tried to completely forget about his existence, somehow the past always has its way of coming back to haunt him. Tyler could feel his lungs getting heavier by the minute, and so the first thing that comes to his mind was perfectly justifiable with the situation at hand.

He needed to get out of there.

Upon realizing that he still has a lot to work at, Tyler closes his eyes and prays that one day he will be cleansed from all his internal agony and forget about the man's existence completely. He then steadily reopens his eyelids and just like that, Monty was gone. 

It was all in Tyler's head, yet the manifestation has now strongly deteriorated his mental health. Tyler reactivates himself back to reality and quickly escapes the bathroom, resisting any thoughts of looking back. Before he knew it, the photographer was now back in the outside world. Tyler glances up at the sky and starts to firmly relax his body on the side of his car, letting the midday sunlight shine upon him.

"That took long!" Estela said before walking over to Tyler.

Just before the boy could say a word to Estela, he raises his head up and sees another car approaching from down the road. Tyler adjusts his sights as the blue Chevrolet comes into closer view and begins to see that Monty was inside. The spirit of Monty locks eye contact with his victim, causing Tyler to become a statue once more as if the man were Medusa herself.

But something was wrong.

Monty was no longer wearing his blue Liberty High jacket. From Tyler's observation, his attire was now a much lesser kind of evil color. And the hair. The dozen thousand sets of mahogany needles that grew from Monty's scalp were combed flat, different from his traditional spiked-up style. Was it just his mind acting up? Or was this straight-up proof that his once most dangerous high school bully was, in fact... Alive?

There was no way it could've been **_anybody else_**.

But before Tyler could even comprehend what he just saw, the car passes from his view and drives away down the street. Tyler then hears his name echoing. Echoing loudly in a deliberate, repetitive pattern. Soon he realizes that the person calling out to him wasn't a voice of a stranger, but the sound of his girlfriend trying to shift his attention span back over towards her.

"Tyler!" Estela called, wiggling her man's arm. "Are you okay?" 

The nerd lands his palms over his abdominal area and rubs over it with gentle, circular motions in an attempt to cover up the real reason for his sudden change in behavior.

"Y-Yeah!" Tyler sighed, letting out a fake smile. "Just a minor stomach ache. But it's passed now!"

Seeing Estela all satisfied after the date made Tyler’s self-esteem gradually rise again. He didn’t want to worry her about what just happened.

"I'm fine, babe. Don't worry!" He said, lying to her face. "So... lunch?"

"Yep!" Estela gushed. "Let’s go."

Tyler opens the passenger door for Estela to let her enter his vehicle, then heads over to the driver’s seat. After entering the car, Tyler starts the engine and starts checking his surroundings from left to right. The boy wanted to make sure that the phantom of Monty wouldn't reappear before taking off. He did not want that spirit or whatever it was to invade his presence again. Tyler then takes another deep breath, ten seconds longer than the previous one. As he feels the quavery vibration of his fingers simmer down, he tightens his grip on the steering wheel. And so the photographer proceeds to drive away from the theater, hoping the rest of the day will go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter 1! 
> 
> I don't know if I'll ever finish this but I am honestly just so invested in this story idea so let's see how the story goes. :)


End file.
